Many people have asked me this question.
It really depends on the definition of Christian you use. What does it mean to be a practicing Christian? People have varying ideas and emphasis here so let me see if I can answer intelligently.
- If you are asking if I belong to a Church group, I do not. Why not? I don’t believe I need a Church. To me the purpose of a Church is to offer a sacred space where one goes to be with their Creator to meditate, pray and be inspired. I do not need a structure to do that. I can do that on a beach, in a forest, in the mountains or in my living room- or in any sacred space where I feel God’s presence. Don’t get me wrong, churches are excellent places to gather as social groups. I just choose not to join them.
I pick my friends and close acquaintances using my own value and belief systems which often include individuals who may have different perspectives than mine. I enjoy engaging with all people because I believe one of the reasons we are here is to experience others by first trying to understand them, not alienate them. That’s what Jesus did. I trust my own understanding and values enough to be able to do that without the help of others, and if I need help, I ask for it. That does not mean to disparage anyone who chooses to find solace in Church social groups. Whatever tools you need to understand and practice love and forgiveness seem reasonable to me.
Even though I was raised as a Roman Catholic, my experiences in the world have taught me that sometimes, the most hurtful and attack driven statements can be generated by people who also say they embrace the teachings of the Church. I find that hypocritical and hurtful not helpful. What we know about Jesus was that he was consistently loving.
- If you are asking if I believe in Jesus of Nazareth, I absolutely do. Jesus taught us to love each other and forgive each other our mistakes made frequently of course because we are human beings. I believe love, forgiveness and our connection to each other are paramount to practicing Christianity as a faith. They unite us rather than divide us. If we say we are in a loving relationship and that we love our partners, the very last thing we need to be doing is criticizing or judging them. Understanding is key.
I believe we are the Loving Thoughts of God; He created us in His image and our journey while we are here on Earth is to recognize this and treat each other as loving aspects of our Creator.
I believe in all aspects of God as the Truth. I believe in Original Innocence not original sin. I believe the idea of sin to be an attempted attack on what God created and ultimately on God Himself, which is ,at face value, a losing proposition.
- If you are asking if I endorse religious dogma, I do not. I believe dogma was developed in order to give structure and “rules” to what otherwise would have been a chaotic time. If you need a more structured construct in order to follow Jesus, then by all means, incorporate it into your life. I choose instead to keep things simple: abide in love and forgiveness and be gentle. This was Jesus’ way.
I do believe in the necessity to heal our minds to get back into sync with what Jesus preached and to truly know ourselves. This is the way to peace. Recognizing that we are all aspects of God-we are One in Him, we are not separate beings.
- Finally, I do not believe in death. I think our bodies die eventually and go back to the Earth where they originated, but I believe we live in God eternally once we have no use for them anymore. I believe He is a loving God not a wrathful God who punishes us. He delights in all our discoveries and learning and is always available to us should we choose to open communication with Him. I believe He is a part of us.
I believe in loving and trying to understand ourselves and each. All the communication techniques I utilize in session are focused on this as well. If you decide to work with me as your counselor, I will do everything in my power to help you learn how to increase intimacy (connection and closeness) and understanding in your relationships. That is what Jesus sought.